ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION - tbinternet.ohchr.orgtbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared Documents/SUR/CEDAW_… · renewed in the revised Penal code. With regard to the issue of

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination

against Women Sixty-ninth session

February-March 2018

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under

article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms

of Discrimination against Women

List of issues and questions in relation to the combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Suriname

Addendum

Replies of Suriname*

[Date received: 18 December 2017]

* The present document is being issued without formal editing.

Note: The present document is being issued in English, French and Spanish only.

CEDAW/C/SUR/Q/4-6/Add.1

Distr.: General

18 December 2017

Original: English

ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION


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List of abbreviations

AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome

CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against

Women

CSO Civil Society Organization

GFP Gender Focal Point

GMS Gender Management System

HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus

ILO International Labour Organization

NCCR National Coordination Center for Disaster Management

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NIMOS National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname

Para. Paragraph

TIP Trafficking In Persons

https://www.medicinenet.com/acquired_immunodeficiency_syndrome_aids/article.htm


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Legislative framework and definition of discrimination

1. The status of the draft law on “Equal treatment of women and men” is still the same

as reported. It is important to mention that although the draft Revision of the Civil Code

does not include a specific definition on discrimination, the principle of equality between

men and women is integrated in that draft revision. For example: joint exercise of parental

authority; decision on the surname of the child (the choice can be made between the

surname of the father or the mother or for a combination of both). Unlike the draft Revision

of the Civil Code, the Revision of the Penal Code, approved in 2015, contains a definition

on discrimination (article 126a). This definition is applicable to both men and women and is

line with CEDAW. In addition, article 500a of the Revised Penal Code, which deals with

occupational discrimination, sexual orientation is explicitly mentioned as a ground for

discrimination.

Visibility of the Convention

2. There are no cases (e.g. divorces, alimony, custody, protection orders) in which the

provisions of the Convention have been referred to by domestic courts. However, indirect

reference is being made to the Convention. For example, in domestic violence cases

reference is made to the Law on Combating Domestic Violence and in this law the

convention is mentioned as one of the considerations which have led to the drafting of the

law. The same goes for stalking cases. The convention has been translated into Dutch, our

official language; the General Recommendations have not yet been translated. CEDAW

and other international instruments regarding the rights of women have been widely

disseminated within government and non-government institutions and organizations, such

as ministries, parliament, court of justice, NGOs, libraries, and the general public. The

Convention and the General Recommendations have not yet been systematically integrated

into capacity-building programs for law-makers, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, or the police

and other law enforcement personnel. During the drafting of the combined 4th to 6th

periodic report of Suriname the Bureau Gender Affairs in 2012, held consultation sessions

with CSOs / NGOs dealing with women / gender issues, during which the content of

CEDAW was presented.

3. In October 2017 government officials participated in a Human- Rights Based

Approach / CEDAW training, held in Paramaribo, Suriname in cooperation with the Office

of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In this training both the convention and the

list of issues were addressed, so as to enable participants to understand the scope of the

convention and how to respond to the list of issues. In October 2017 the Ministry of Justice

and Police started to train her personnel in gender and gender related issues. In this training

CEDAW and the CEDAW List of Issues are also addressed. Each week a group of officials

including law enforcement personnel are being trained. The training which is being carried

out in collaboration with the Bureau Gender Affairs will be continued in 2018. The training

should lead to execution of a gender sensitive policy by the Ministry of Justice and Police.

Access to justice

4. While no special mechanisms or procedures are in place for women to enforce their

rights under the Convention, it should be noted that women have access to justice through

the usual proceedings of the courts. The government provides legal assistance and legal aid

free of charge to the financially weak irrespective of sex, through the Legal Aid Bureau

(Bureau Rechtszorg) of the Ministry of Justice and Police. Free legal assistance includes

counseling services in all areas of law provided by legal officials, and if necessary, clients

are referred to lawyers who are paid by the government for their services. For example, in

cases of domestic violence the Legal Aid Bureau (Bureau Rechtszorg) provides legal

assistance specifically to women victims and serves judicial sentences to the perpetrator

through employed process servers. The Legal Aid Bureau (Bureau Rechtszorg) aims to thus

ensure the quality of legal assistance and aid provided. No evaluation has been conducted

on these services being provided by the Legal Aid Bureau (Bureau Rechtszorg).


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National machinery for the advancement of women

5. In 2015 the National Bureau for Gender Policy was renamed Bureau Gender Affairs.

6. The organizational structure and the various positions are being finalized. For the

continuous strengthening of the national machinery for the advancement of women, various

capacity-strengthening initiatives were offered for staff of the Bureau Gender Affairs and

for Gender Focal Points (GFPs), such as a training in conducting a time-use survey, training

on the development of gender indicators and the collection of gender data, a basic training

in gender equality and gender mainstreaming, an in depth train-the-trainers in gender, and

recently in October 2017 a training on Human Rights-Based Approach in which CEDAW

was included as a case study.

7. The National Committee on Gender Legislation, an ad hoc committee installed in

December 2013 for a one year period, submitted proposals on amending legislations to the

Minister of Home Affairs. After December 2014, the mandate of the committee was not

extended.

8. For an effective functioning of the Gender Management System (GMS), the Bureau

Gender Affairs formulated, in collaboration with the GFPs, the job description for GFPs

and submitted this in 2016 to Minister of Home Affairs for consideration and approval.

9. Within the GMS, the GFPs are responsible for gender mainstreaming within their

respective ministries and their responsibility is to ensure that gender is incorporated in

projects and programs and/or that they work on a gender responsive annual budget of their

own ministry. The Bureau Gender Affairs provides the national mechanism with technical

assistance.

10. In December 2016, the Ministry of Justice and Police launched the National Human

Rights Institute. The planning is that a transition period will be implemented in 4 years,

wherein the institute will be arranged in such a way that it will comply with the

requirements according to the Paris Principles. This means that in this period the Institute

will be made into an independent institution. In the final phase of this transition, the

Institute will thus completely stand alone. This institute will deal with the promotion and

protection of human rights in the country. Also, a general ombudsman will be linked to this

institute. The ombudsman will be divided into two divisions, being one for children and one

for adults.

11. The provisions relating to anti-corruption have been significantly sharpened and

renewed in the revised Penal code. With regard to the issue of corruption, the Penal Code

book 2 titles 7, 25 and 28 under crimes against public authority, deception and misconduct,

specific acts of corruption are punishable. However, the approach to corruption should not

be restricted to a (repressive) criminal justice approach but should also focus on prevention.

In this regard, the Anti-Corruption Act was approved by The National Assembly

(parliament) on August 31, 2017 to address the problem of corruption in the public sector in

an early stage. This law includes the introduction of regulations to prevent and combat

corruption in the public sector and applies to everyone; in other words, it is gender neutral.

This law can lead to advancing the confidence of citizens and entrepreneurs in public

administration. However, the accompanying government policy still needs to be

formulated, and the practical implementation in relation to human rights is yet to be

discussed.

Extraterritorial obligations

12. There are several laws on industries such as gold, petroleum and agribusiness,

although women’s rights are not specifically addressed in these acts. Illustration of the

national legislation in this regard are:

Gold, petroleum and agribusiness

• Mining Decree (Decreet Mijnbouw) S.B. 1986 no. 28 as last amended by S.B. 1997

no. 44;

• State Order on Mining Installations (Besluit Mijnbouwinstallaties) S.B. 1989 no.38;


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• Petroleum Act (Petroleumwet 1990) S.B. 1991 no. 7, z.l.g. bij SB. 2001 no.58;

• Drilling Act (Wet betreffende het doen van boringen) G.B 1952 no. 93;

• Export Regulation on Agriculture, Horticulture and Forest Products

(Uitvoerverordening van Landbouw-, tuinbouw-, en boschproducten) G.B. 1936 no.

77;

• Plant Protection Act (Plantenbeschermingswet 1965) G.B. 1965 no. 102 as last

amended by S.B. 1980 no. 116);

• Plant Protection Decision (Plantenbeschermingsbesluit) G.B. 1965 no. 142;

• Nuisance Act (Hinderwet 1930) G.B. 1930 no. 64 as last amended by SB. 2001 no.

63).

Agribusiness

• Plant Protection Act (Plantenbeschermingswet) of 8 September 1965 on the

prevention and control of sicknesses and diseases in crops as last amended by G.B.

1972 no. 163, S.B. 1980 no. 116;

• Pesticide Act (Bestrijdingsmiddelenwet) of 7 December 1972 G.B. 1972 no. 151 on

the regulation of trade and use of pesticides; Amendment of the Pesticide Act S.B.

2005 no. 18;

• Animal Diseases Prevention and Control Act (Landsverordening van 3 april 1954

ter voorkoming en bestrijding van dierziekten) GB 1954 no. 23. Although there is no

official citation title in the act, it is referred to as the Animal Diseases Prevention

and Control Act;

• Meat and Other Animal Products Inspection Act (Wet inspectie vlees en overige

dierlijke produkten (expanding the old meat inspection act SB 2017 no. 17);

• Animal Welfare Act (Wet dierenwelzijn) of 16 January 2017 on animal welfare and

further amendment to the Penal Code S.B. 2017 no. 4;

• Milk Act (Landsverordening van 9 mei 1959 regelende de uitoefening van bedrijven

tot bewerking en verwerking van melk alsmede de verkoop van consumptiemelk) GB

1959 no. 39;

• Draft Law on animal feed for animal production (Conceptwet op diervoeders van

dierlijke productie).This is still an internal draft. It includes rules for animal

production taken from the last Meat Inspection Act and the Animal Welfare Act.

13. Their main purpose is to regulate the activities, while providing safeguards for

human beings, the environment, and animals. For the agricultural sector, there is legislation

which aims at enforcing food safety, sanitary inspections, licensing, etc. Control

mechanisms are in place within the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and

Fisheries for monitoring compliance with the laws and to ensure that the activities do not

negatively impact human rights (not specifically women’s rights) or endanger

environmental, labour, health and other standards in general.

Temporary special measures

14. After the activities held in the framework of the 2015 general elections to increase

awareness of the importance of equal participation in public life and decision-making

positions, no temporary special measures have been taken. Nor have temporary measures

been taken with regard to male-dominated sectors of employment and to tackle intersecting

forms of discrimination faced by disadvantaged groups of women, specifically Maroon

women, women in the interior, and women with disabilities.

Stereotypes

15. The State acknowledges that patriarchal attitudes and deep-rooted gender

stereotypes play a role in Surinamese family and society. Various activities have been

organized to tackle this issue namely:


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16. In December 2015, the training on “Domestic violence intervention for

communication experts from the Government, media workers and artists” was conducted,

in which 11 men and 20 women participated. The purpose of this training was to develop

engagement practices aimed at eliminating violence against women and to provide them

with tools to create productions (for example newspaper articles and music). This group of

communicators can play a leading role to combat domestic violence. A formal assessment

has not been conducted, but after the training one journalist wrote an article about domestic

violence in a daily newspaper. The same journalist wrote another article during the Zika

epidemic in Suriname in 2016. He pointed out that the focus should not only be on

(pregnant) women in the prevention and protection of Zika but should also focus on men.

17. As of January 2016, the Ministry of Home Affairs has provided training in gender

and gender-related issues to several staff in various ministries, faith-based organizations

and NGOs. No structural evaluation has taken place yet to assess all the trainings.

18. After a successful lobby of the Bureau Gender Affairs, gender has been incorporated

since 2016 in the curricula of courses provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs to civil

servants. Gender stereotyping is one of the topics that is addressed in these courses.

19. A short evaluation has revealed that the students have a better understanding of

gender and gender-related issues.

20. In 2017, there was a training for media workers in the district of Nickerie by the

Ministry of Home Affairs. The paragraphs dealing with gender stereotyping in the Beijing

Declaration and Platform for Action and CEDAW were included in the training.

Gender-based violence against women

21. In 2014, the Steering Committee on Domestic Violence presented the National

Policy Plan 2014 - 2017 on Domestic Violence to the Minister of Justice and Police for

approval. This plan is still in draft and is currently being updated by the Council on

Domestic Violence, which was installed in June 2017 by the Minister of Justice and Police.

The Minister has committed to implement this draft plan.

22. Although the impact of the Law Combating Domestic Violence and the Penal Code

regarding revisions on criminalizing on marital rape has not yet been studied and the

National Policy Plan on Domestic Violence is still in draft, the following data can be

presented.

Number of victims of domestic violence since 2009 registered at the police

Year Male Female Total % female

2009 342 1574 1916 82

2010 518 1033 1551 67

2011 364 1095 1459 75

2012 202 1237 1439 86

2013 233 1220 1453 84

2014 369 1496 1865 80

2015 757 999 1756 57

2016 305 946 1251 76

Number of cases of rape in family (including marital rape) registered at the police

Year Number

2014 20

2015 28

2016 32


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Women’s death at the hand of an intimate partner or former partner

Year Number

2009 1

2010 4

2011 0

2012 6

2013 3

2014 7

2015 10

2016 13

Source: Police Corps of Suriname

Number of cases of violence against girls and adolescents, adult women and elderly

women which were prosecuted, in proportion to the total number of reports of

violence against women

Period

Number of police reports, of which the result of the investigation is

documented in a process file and submitted at the Public Prosecutor’s Office

(criminal cases)

Number of cases that are

concluded at the court (criminal

cases)

2013 (October–

December) 16 3

2014 195 24

2015 170 21

2016 (January-

July) 52 6

Total 433 54

Source: Public Prosecutor’s Office, information dated August 2016

Number and percentage of criminal proceedings for the crime of femicide, homicide,

murder, versus number and percentage of criminal cases with judgment (conviction

or acquittal) for the crime of femicide, homicide, murder.

Period Description Total Number

2014 Murder 20

Homicide 3

Femicide 3

Criminal proceedings 23

Judgement

3 femicide cases are concluded in

court and the suspects are

sentenced.

2015 Murder 23

Homicide 5

Femicide 7


Judgement

2 femicide cases are concluded in

court and the suspects are

sentenced, while the other 5 cases

are still pending in court.

2016 (Jan – July) Murder 8

Homicide 4

Femicide 1


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Period Description Total Number


Judgement

1 case of femicide still pending in

court

Source: Public Prosecutor’s Office (information dated August 2016)

Number of appeals for protection orders in cases of domestic violence submitted at the

civil court:

Session year

October - September # of appeals *

2013 - 2014 420

2014 - 2015 418

2015 - 2016 412

2016 – 2017 (February) 195

Source: report of a workshop of the Foundation Stop Violence against women, March 2017.

23. Since 2014, four cantonal judges have been appointed for Paramaribo and

surrounding area for the duration of two session years to deal with protection order appeals

in cases of domestic violence, besides their existing regular duties. For the district of

Nickerie one judge has similarly been appointed. The number of appeals has increased to

such an extent that every judge in a session year concludes around 100 new appeals; has to

deal with an average of 12-16 new appeals per month; considers at least 3-4 new appeals

each week; and at least 3 to 4 cases are being tried in one session each week.

24. The Law on Combating Domestic Violence provides protection in an early stage and

through a fast procedure. Protection takes place by the imposition of commands and

prohibitions on the defendant, which are contained in a protection order. Protection orders

are issued by the civil cases cantonal judge. The assessment with regard to the outcomes of

these measures will be conducted in 2018.

25. Currently there is only one government shelter for women victims of domestic

violence and her children up to 12 years old. For safety reasons this shelter is located at a

secret address. Since 2012, an average of 12 – 15 clients have been accommodated each

year. The shelter provides practical guidance (when visiting the police, family doctor,

emergency room if necessary and for making appointments with the employer and

transportation of the children to school); emotional guidance through conversations; legal /

emotional guidance when requesting a protection order, visiting the court, prosecution

office or the Bureau for Family Law Affairs. The services provided by the shelter are

evaluated regularly for improvement.

Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

26. The Penal Code with regard to trafficking in persons was revised in 2015 and has

been brought more in line with the United Nations Convention against Transnational

Organized Crime, including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in

Persons, Especially Women and Children and the Protocol against the Smuggling of

Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. The revision includes first of all an extension of the

jurisdiction, which means that the Penal Code of Suriname is also applicable to Surinamese

persons who commit trafficking in persons outside Suriname. Secondly, the revision

includes the preclusion of criminal proceedings by laps of time. Generally, the term of

preclusion commences on the day after the criminal offence has been committed. Exception

is made in cases where trafficking is committed against a person who has not yet reached

the age of 18 years. The term of the preclusion commences in these cases on the day the

* These appeals for protection orders mostly regard new cases.


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victim turns 18 years. Thirdly, apart from sexual exploitation other purposes of trafficking

have been included, such as forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery,

and removal of organs. Fourthly, for mutual balance between the maximum penalties, the

sentences have been increased.

27. The statistics of the police show the following:

Year # of cases # of arrests # of custody

# of men in

custody

# of women in

custody

# of

records

# of

victims

2015 17 (9 TIP / 8

Smuggling) 20 20 12 8 45 13

2016 39 (3 TIP / 36

Smuggling) 63 38 34 4 69 5

2017(Jan –

Oct)

15 (4 TIP / 11

smuggling) 37 34 18 16 27 5

28. Shelter is available for female and child victims of trafficking in persons and is for

safety reasons located at a secret address. The shelter provides accommodation including

food and other necessities to more than 20 victims. A separate shelter is also available for

male victims of trafficking in persons and is for safety reasons located at a secret address.

29. Awareness programs on trafficking are being carried out for Maroon communities

and women and girls in the interior. These programs are broadcasted in the languages

Dutch, Sranan Tongo and Aucan (local language of one of the Maroon communities)

through Radio Kojeba, as this radio station is popular among the Maroon community. The

Maroon community has responded positively to these broadcasts through call-in

possibilities with the public.

30. Apart from the above, information on trafficking in persons is frequently provided

via media (television, radio, newspaper) and the website of the Police of Suriname. In

collaboration with other stakeholders, more awareness programs are prepared to be

implemented shortly specifically for the interior.

31. The state party is in the process of gathering information and will respond during the

dialogue with the committee.

Participation in political and public life

32. Despite the absence of an action plan to introduce a quota system, progress has been

made to increase the representation of women in public life and political decision- making

positions.

33. After the 2015 general elections, the BGA sent a letter to the media, including the

daily newspapers, with a call to political parties that for the government coalition to

nominate and appoint women on equal terms with men for various public decision-making

positions.

34. The activities mentioned in the report (para. 75) have resulted in an increase of

women in The National Assembly (parliament). Currently there are 14 women (28 per cent)

and 38 men in The National Assembly (parliament). The participation of women at the

local level has also improved.

35. For instance, the proportion of female members of the District Councils (local

government) increased from 32% in 2010 to 37% in 2015, while the Local Councils (local

government) showed an increase from 36% to 42% in 2015. Between 2010 and 2017, the

proportion of female District Commissioners increased from 27% to 29 %.

36. As mentioned in the state report (para. 87), as of 2010 the female judges dominated

within the court of justice, the proportion of female judges to male judges increased from

63 per cent in 2013 to 74 per cent in 2017.


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37. Suriname has 20 agricultural cooperatives with 802 members. The representation of

women within these 20 cooperatives is 31 per cent. 6 of these 20 cooperatives are led by

women.

Education

38. There are 28 schools for children with disabilities in Suriname. These are mainly

located in the three areas of Paramaribo and the rural districts of Wanica and Nickerie.

There are no measures in place to increase accessibility for Indigenous and Maroon girls

with disabilities, living in the interior, or girls belonging to minority groups and living in

poverty situations.

39. The vocational training institute operated by the Ministry of Labour provides

training accessible to both men and women. In the promotion of the training through

(social) media, a special emphasis is placed on female students in non-traditional vocations.

The social and financial benefits of participating in these trainings are also highlighted

during the promotion activities.

40. Data shows that more women than men attend the Anton de Kom University of

Suriname, and are thus also represented at technology, mathematics and science based

studies at the tertiary level. The enrolment rate for e.g. the Faculty of Mathematics and

Physics for women is 73%.

41. With regard to sexual and reproductive health and rights the curriculum focuses on

improving communication, raising self-awareness, and the ability to make responsible

choices leading to healthy sexual relationships. Under the Basic Education Improvement

Project (BEIP) of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, the Netherlands Institute

for Curriculum Development (SLO) was contracted in 2011 to develop a curriculum

framework for an 11-year basic educational program in Suriname.

42. The overall objective of the multi-phase program is to increase the learning

outcomes of students in the education system of Suriname from pre-primary through junior

secondary education nationally, and improve the internal efficiency and quality of the new

basic education system. From September 2010 to March 2011 a large group of stakeholders

from the education field, under the guidance of SLO, worked on both the curriculum

framework and the educational curriculum.

43. Data disaggregated by age and region on the dropout rates of girls owing to

pregnancy is not yet available.

44. Since 2016, a pregnancy protocol has been established by the Ministry of Education

Science and Culture through a ministerial decision so as to ensure regulation at secondary

schools and prevent school principals from taking their own decisions on removal of

pregnant adolescents and mothers from school.

45. With regards to pregnant adolescents who drop out of the formal school system, they

are offered an opportunity to continue their education through training-courses offered by

the Ministry of Labour and NGOs.

46. Since 2016, a pregnancy protocol has been established by the Ministry of Education

Science and Culture through a ministerial decision so as to ensure regulation at secondary

schools and prevent school principals from taking their own decisions on removal of

pregnant adolescents and mothers from school.

47. The Bureau Gender Affairs, with support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal

Husbandry and Fisheries and the United Nations Development Fund, recently started phase

one of the project Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in the district of Nickerie. The

aim of the project is to economically empower (unemployed) women, so that they will be

able to generate an own income. A training in plant propagation techniques has already

been carried out.

48. The agricultural cooperative Wi Uma fu Sranan is the first women’s agro-

cooperative in Suriname (launched in February 2016). It consists of 40 Maroon women.

This cooperative aims at jointly developing the interior of Suriname by increasing

employment opportunities for Maroon women.


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49. The cooperative is active in the districts of Brokopondo, Saramacca, Para and

Wanica, and works with strategic partners, including the government. Currently the

cooperative produces and sells a variety of cereals made from cassava.

50. The draft law on Sexual Harassment has been presented by the Ilse Henar Hewitt

Foundation to the Ministry of Labour and it is the intention to finalize this draft into law in

2018.

51. As far as paid maternity leave is concerned, the status of the draft Civil Code is the

same as reported, and regulates only maternity leave for women. In the draft Civil Code

women will have the right to paid maternity leave for a minimum of 12 weeks and a

maximum of 14 weeks.

52. Apart from this, the Ministry of Labour has drafted a bill on maternity protection.

The Maternity Protection Act will regulate the leave of the mother and the father in the

private sector and was already approved by the Council of Ministers in November 2017.

This bill has to be submitted to the State Advisory Council. The Maternity Protection Act

will include new provisions with regard to occupational safety and health, as well as

breastfeeding.

53. With regard to the amendment of the Civil Servants’ Act (Personeelswet), no

progress has been made.

54. The State party envisages collecting sex-disaggregated data on occupational

segregation, both horizontal and vertical. In this regard, two measures will be taken. The

first measure is to install a Labor Market Information System, which is currently in

progress. The second measure is to update the Workers Registration Act, which is currently

outdated and no longer applied. This act will be updated in 2018. These measures are taken

with a view to strengthening endeavors to enforce the principle of equal pay for work, in

line with ILO Convention No. 100. With respect to this, two ad hoc committees have also

been established by the Minister of Labor to prepare the Equality of Treatment Act and the

Violence at the Workplace Act, to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.

Health

55. With reference to the allocation of the national budget to women’s health and to

meet the basic sexual and reproductive health needs of women, the Ministry of Health

allocates a proportion of its budget to these areas of health with activities and projects being

executed. Unfortunately, this proportion of the budget is not expressed in a percentage of

the annual budget and cannot be extracted as such.

56. Articles 355, 356 and 357 of the Penal Code have not been amended and no progress

has been made to legalize abortion. Abortion is currently not legally permitted for any

reason. There is no explicit legal exception to save the life of the mother, although in

practice this exception is applied.

57. With regard to access to contraceptives, persons with a health insurance have access

to the contraceptives. Those who do not have a health insurance have to pay out of pocket

or they can obtain the contraceptives through the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing.

Contraceptives in the interior are provided through the Medical Mission. Through the

Malaria Program of the Ministry of Health, contraceptives are also distributed in the

interior. In 2017 an agreement has been signed with NGO’s to also distribute contraceptives

in the mining fields while conducting their outreach programs.

58. The National Strategic Plan (NSP) for a multi-sectoral approach to HIV in Suriname

2014-2020 places emphasis on the prevention of contracting HIV/ AIDS by high-risk

groups, namely women in prostitution and women working as prostitutes in the mining

field in the interior, man having sex with man, LGBT and youth as well as the need to

reduce stigma and discrimination against women living with HIV.

59. With regard to the inclusion of HIV prevention programs for married women or

women in other kinds of conjugal relationships, these target groups have not been

mentioned specifically.


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60. The guiding principles for the NSP do mention, for example, that resources and

capacities for counseling services and providing contraceptive should be increased to meet

the unmet needs of HIV positive women and their partners, and to integrate HIV, syphilis

and hepatitis B screening and pregnancy testing within sexual reproductive health and

Maternal and Child Health services, in order to reach women and their partners.

Social and economic life

61. No assessment has been made on the impact of legislative reform (Minimum Hour

Wage Act, National Benefits Pension Act and National Health Insurance Act) and the

issuance of social benefits as listed in paragraphs 164 to 175 of the report on decreasing the

level of poverty experienced by women. Although no assessment has been made on the

impact of austerity measures on women, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing still

provides social services to eligible disadvantaged groups/ individuals.

Disaster risk reduction and climate change

62. The interior is a specific focus area for the National Coordination Center for Disaster

Management (NCCR) because of the increasing frequency of flooding and the vulnerable

situation of the population, who are highly dependent on their natural environment for their

daily subsistence. NCCR strives to ensure the effective participation of Indigenous and

Maroon women during its activities in the interior, among other things, during the

coordination of emergency assistance where women are usually the recipients. An

increasing number of the traditional authorities of the Indigenous and Maroon peoples

(captains or chiefs, and basyas or assistants) with whom NCCR works are female and many

villages have women’s organizations. These authorities and organizations are involved at

the community level when disaster management is discussed, including response and

prevention. Furthermore, NCCR is currently in the process of training regional district

administration offices (Bestuursdienst) in disaster management procedures and planning,

where a substantial number of the staff is female and from the local communities.

63. The National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname (NIMOS) is

the main environmental management policy and advisory body and research institute within

the government. NIMOS coordinates a number of environment-related projects. Currently

there are two projects in which both men and women must participate proportionately.

64. These projects are:

The Japan - Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (J-CCCP)

65. This project is designed to strengthen the capacity of countries in the Caribbean to

invest in climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies, as prioritized in their

Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and National Adaptation Plans

(NAPs).

66. With regard to the second outcome Adoption and implementation of mitigation and

adaptation technologies, the project should indicate the specific roles, anticipated benefits

and the negative outcomes on both men and women.

67. One of the projects of the J-CCCP which is being implemented by Ministry of

Regional Development implemented early 2017 named Enhancing access to drinking water

for the Maroon community of Asigron Brokopondo, 42% of the persons participating were

women, while there were 47.8% female-headed households. The youth (of which 53%

girls) and elderly (of which 55 % women) also participated.

Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing

countries (Redd+).

68. According to NIMOS, the REDD+ program can only succeed when all stakeholders

are involved in all stages of the process. From February 2017 until June 2017, information-

sharing sessions were held in the different Maroon and Indigenous communities. The

communities were informed about climate change, the current phases of the REDD+

project, and how REDD+ can contribute to Suriname and the different specific target


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groups such as women, children, youth, etc. Consultations to develop an REDD+ National

strategy have also taken place in different Maroon and Indigenous communities. During

these information-sharing sessions and consultations the participation of the women of

these communities was a requirement. Women participated at different levels in the

framework of the REDD+ National Strategy.

69. The information-sharing sessions are ongoing. The last REDD+ consultation

regarding the REDD+ National Strategy was held in September/October 2017.

70. In the information sessions, 487 persons from 59 Maroon and Indigenous

communities participated, of which 54% women.

Rural women, Maroon women and indigenous women living in the interior

71. Suriname’s National Development Plan 2012-2016 has not been formally evaluated

due to the lack of indicators and targets. It is worth mentioning that The National Assembly

(parliament) has recently adopted a Development plan 2017-2021.

72. In order to pay specific attention to the development of the Indigenous peoples and

Afro-Surinamese peoples of the interior/ Maroons, two new directorates were established in

the Ministry of Regional Development in 2016, namely:

73. Directorate for the Sustainable Development of the Indigenous peoples and

Directorate for the Sustainable Development of Afro-Surinamese peoples of the

interior/Maroons.

74. Both directorates aim to achieve sustainable development for the Indigenous and the

Afro-Surinamese peoples of the interior. The main task of these directorates is to develop

programs, projects and activities deemed necessary for systematically improving living

conditions and building the capacity of the Indigenous and Afro-Surinamese communities

in Suriname, based on the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

75. The directorates further serve as bodies that identify, stimulate, facilitate, supervise,

evaluate, and adjust development initiatives in the Indigenous and Afro-Surinamese

communities of the interior.

76. The directorates do not focus specifically on gender aspects in these tribal

communities. Nevertheless, there are developments that contribute to gender, in particular

where increasingly more women are represented in the structures of the traditional

authorities of both groups.

Disadvantaged groups of women

77. The Constitution of the Republic of Suriname states in article 8 paragraph 2 that no

one shall be discriminated against on the grounds of birth, sex, race, language, religious

origin, education, political believes, economic position or any other status

78. Women with disabilities, Maroon women and Indigenous women have less access to

employment due to the general lack of opportunities in the rural area. Worth mentioning in

this regard is that with the opening of the hospital “Marwina” in the district of Marowijne,

employment opportunities is created for locals.

79. With regard to access to financial services, ATM machines have been placed in the

district of Brokopondo by three banks namely the Finabank, Surinaamse Postspaarbank

(SPSB) and the Godo Bank. To facilitate the elderly and persons with disabilities, the

Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing introduced the so-called Moni Karta in 2017 as an

alternative automation of the payment system. The Moni Karta is a debit card on which the

various financial benefits provided by the government will be made available every month

for the eligible persons.

80. In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing provides social services for

disadvantaged groups who are eligible.

81. The government policy of providing basic health insurance (BaZo-kaarten) for all

persons in the age-groups 0 to 17 years and over-60 years applies equally to women with

disabilities, Maroon women and Indigenous women. Earlier this year the Ministry of


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Regional Development assisted with the distribution of health insurance cards to people in

the interior.

82. As far as access of rural women to health services is concerned, several providers

(government and non-government) offer healthcare in the rural areas to all, irrespective of

gender. It is also worth mentioning that a new hospital “Marwina” was constructed in the

district of Marowijne and will be open to the public in January 2018. To execute different

surgeries an operation room and some specialist clinics will be built. Missions of eye and

orthopedic surgeries will be executed. The services that will be provided will be aligned

with the needs of the local community. This hospital will work together with the different

health care centers of the Regional Health Department.

83. Furthermore a health care center has been built in other parts of earlier mentioned

district. Also the construction of a health care center in Moengo, a resort in the district of

Marowijne, has already started.

84. Women with disabilities, Maroon women and Indigenous women have access to

education. They can enrol in the primary and secondary schools; there is land and water

transportation available to reach the education facilities; there are boarding schools for

those who live far from the education facilities, as well as development opportunities

through so-called “nucleus centres”.

85. With regard to the systematic separation of girls from women in detention it can be

stated that the separation of girls from women in detention at the Central Penitentiary

Institution takes only place for sleeping accommodation. Kitchen and sanitary use is jointly

taking place.

Equality in marriage and family relations

86. The CEDAW report already stated that the draft revision of the Civil Code was

considered by the State Council in July 2011 and submitted to the President of the Republic

of Suriname to forward to The National Assembly (Parliament). This draft revision of the

Civil Code was updated in 2016-2017 and preparations are currently being made for

submission once again.

87. The status of the ID legislation is the same as reported.

88. There is no national strategy for prevention and elimination of child marriage /

union.

Optional Protocol and amendment to article 20, paragraph 1

89. As reported, the nature of the conditions which must be in place prior to the

ratification of the Optional Protocol are more or less legislative. This includes revision or

abolition of existing gender discriminatory legislation and preparation/adjustment of certain

laws to strengthen the position of women, for example a law on paid maternity leave for

employees in the private sector, a law on the prevention of sexual harassment at the

workplace, and a law on equal treatment of men and women. Additionally, institutional

measures should also be put in place, such as a special complaints department / committee.

The acceptance of the amendment to article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention concerning

the Committee’s meeting time remains under consideration by Suriname.